[Andrewksu]

Architect would probably not be considered standard middle class, as it is professional practice. The chief principal at a decent sized firm in Chicago(35-40 designers/architects) I know makes about $110k. That is the pinnacle of a 40 year career as a highly educated professional.

I would say that a salary of $75-100k is, depending on location, a very healthy upper middle class salary. Just a shot in the dark, but I would estimate that a dude working on the assembly line for about 10 years would be worth 40-50k.

I was watching a show about one of Ford's manufacturing plants where the Unions had fought mechanizing process at every step. Ford had to compromise and created robotic arms that would essentially place the dash or objects into the vehicle with the operator doing nothing more than following. If Ford had it's druthers, it could mechanize these processes completely, reducing labor and liability costs, which could keep them competitive with foreign companies.

So, simply restated, Unions are causing many of our labor/competition problems.

[durasell]

The thing that is always left unsaid in these discussions is the hard, cold fact that some jobs are not worth as much as they used to be. Just as the price of gold and other commodities rises and falls, so too does the cost of labor.

And while there are no promises in life, some people (incorrectly) feel that if they are willing to work hard and play by the rules that they'll be able to earn a decent living. The idea of a thirty year old hedge fund whiz kid who earns seven figures (with bonus) to blow on fashion models, $10,000 weekend jaunts, and pricey cars creates a moral disonance for them. In their eyes, that's not the way the world is supposed to work.